Terrigal Businesses Urge Council To Drop Traffic Overhaul Plans

Suggest mobile traffic lights.

Businesses in Terrigal have urged Council not to go ahead with the planned overhaul of traffic in the CBD, at a series of consultations in town this week.

Council had planned to start the $2.2 million works widen footpaths, install pedestrian crossings and change traffic flow on several key streets before the end of this month.

Newsagent owner Kate Tankard says after being crippled by the upgrades to Wilson Road carpark last year, the loss of foot traffic if the Esplanade were made a shared zone would force many businesses to close.

"We're just desperately getting back on our feet now, and if they were to create traffic problems again, we feel our diehard supporters would just find it too hard to come into the area and not come here anymore," Ms Tankard said.

Ms Tankard says the business community has proposed its own solution to traffic and pedestrian flow problems on the road: Mobile traffic lights.

"99% of us agree we just need to control the flow of pedestrians, and the first crossing is the major one that holds all the traffic up.

"There are three crossing within 100 metres of one another. Perhaps if they were trialled on all three and synchronised so they allow pedestrians to cross at the same time. We'd be happy to trial it for six months, but we all feel that's the solution to their traffic flow problems, and nothing drastic needs to be done."

Over 200 people turned out to the sessions with Council staff at the Surf Lifesaving Club on Monday, and Wednesday.

Ms Tankard claims they only heard about the sessions less than a week before they took place. Council's since extended the deadline for leaving feedback on the proposals until next week.